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Skip Wilkins Quartet feat. Daniel Wilkins: Czech Wishes
Although he's based in Eastern Pennsylvania, where he teaches at Lafayette College, pianist Skip Wilkins spends as much time as he can in the Czech Republic, the source of inspiration for his last two releases. Czech Dreams (New Port Line, 2013) and Czech Wishes, his current project, are not so much about crafting an Eastern European-tinged music, as Wilkins' songwriting stays comfortably within the world of mainstream jazz. He does have an impressive trio of Czech musicians with him on ...
read morePart 11, Be Prepared
When I was younger I was a Boy Scout. I really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot from doing it. Probably one of the most important lessons I learned from scouting is one the simplest. The Boy Scout “motto" is be prepared and following that has helped in many situations I've faced as a bandleader. It's obviously expected that you'll bring your instrument and musical knowledge to a gig. But I'm going to suggest some other items to bring ...
read moreAshley Pezzotti: Telling Her Story
As a child, Ashley Pezzotti, from Brooklyn, by way of Miami, was singing and performing. It hasn't stopped. And though only 23, it seems she has a strong career ahead of her. The title of her first album, We've Only Just Begun, out earlier this year, is a harbinger by title. As a work of art, its very strong. It displays not only an outstanding vocal instrument with a sassy flair for negotiating the jazz genre, but solid ...
read moreSarathy Korwar: More Arriving
In dusty old legends, the tabla came into being when a thirteenth century Sufi disciple sawed a pakhawaj (two-headed drum) in half. Sarathy Korwar has delved deeper into history than that by recording the music of the Sidis, descendants of African tribes who came to India in the seventh century. The results of this bore fruit on his album Day To Day (Ninja Tune, 2016) with ambient sonics flitting among the field work. A devout student of the tabla, Korwar ...
read more20 Bands You Didn't Know You Can't Live Without
There is a treasure-trove of jazz gems away from the usual labels, venues, websites... one has just to look around and search for it. This week we feature bands whose quality may have not been matched by their international commercial success... but that's often the curse of excellent music that goes off the beaten path. Since we only care about the beauty of the music, here are twenty bands which you didn't know you cannot live without: Rootless, Slow Poke, ...
read moreRodrigo Pinheiro/Wschod: Wschod
Chamber jazz has provided an intriguing combination of abstract jazz and modern-classical experimentation, and Clean Feed should be applauded for giving the world a library of music by artists in this mold. Case in point, pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro's trio Wschod, which says that it strives to go beyond established norms. If by this, Pinhiero and company mean unique voicings, abundant technique and challenging yet fascinating group improvisations, they have succeeded. On Wschod the talents of the trio .are ...
read moreZach Brock / Matt Ulery / Jon Deitmeyer: Wonderment
A bold, enticing recording, Wonderment vividly captures all the energy and creative frisson that seems to stream endlessly from three of modern music's leading creators, Grammy-winning violinist Zack Brock, in-demand bassist and Woolgathering Records founder Matt Ulery, and drummer Jon Deitmeyer. Having played together in Chicago's burgeoning jazz atmosphere since 2005, Wonderment is the trio's debut and one to remember beyond the inevitable best-of-2019 lists. Brock's dervish swooping swirls and lengthy high wails may be the lead instrument ...
read moreMonk and Friends: Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols, & Elmo Hope in the 1950s (1953 - 1957)
The 1950s were a very productive decade for Thelonious Monk, perhaps his most productive as a composer. During the fifties his reputation and impact grew tremendously. His influence on other pianists can be seen in the work of Elmo Hope and Herbie Nichols, among others. Although neither had the longevity or enjoyed the popularity that Monk did, as the years go by their reputations have grown. In this hour, we will focus on idiosyncratic pianist/composers Thelonious Monk, Herbie ...
read moreCannonball: A Man of the People
This interview was conducted at Union College in Schenectady, New York in 1971 and was originally published in an arts newspaper called Transition. Julian Cannonball Adderley was only three when he began to dig jazz and his hunger for his music is yet to be satiated. The first music he remembers hearing was in church. His mother was the organist of an Episcopal church. This church background has had a profound effect on his playing. His father played ...
read moreRich Halley with Matthew Shipp, Michael Bisio and Newman Taylor Baker: Terra Incognita
Rich Halley's leader debut Multnomah Rhythms (Avocet, 1983) featured a large ensemble, a formation that the saxophonist favored for the better part of two decades. When he pared back personnel, he was equally committed to his quartet, recording six albums with trombonist Michael Vlatkovich, bassist Clyde Reed and son, Carson Halley on drums. The Outlier (Pine Eagle, 2016) expanded the quartet to a quintet with the addition of Vinny Golia on baritone sax and bass clarinet. The saxophonist downsized further, ...
read moreJazzmobile partners with Minton's Playhouse for synergy of jazz in Harlem, NYC
A synergy in jazz can mean that band members complement and combine with one another for a greater result. That same concept applies to an exciting summer announcement that kicks-off a new partnership between two renowned and heralded jazz organizations, Jazzmobile and Harlem Jazz Enterprises will team-up with the iconic Minton's Playhouse jazz club, to present live music at this storied venue, in Harlem, jny: New York City. This dynamic partnership will create an open-ended residency at Minton's Playhouse jazz ...
read moreEbi Soda: Bedroom Tapes
The closing minutes of Ebi Soda's Bedroom Tapes perfectly demonstrate the album's strengths and weaknesses. “Daughter of Doris" opens with an invigorating mix of bustling rhythms, powerful piano chords and an earworm trumpet melody, all layered over soft, electric guitars. Gradually, the song loses momentum as its lack of any impressive performances or compositional shifts leave the track feeling woefully incomplete. This lack of fulfillment will most likely become familiar during repeated listens to Ebi Soda's debut album. This Brighton ...
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